Chapter 4 'Old Friend'

• “You fell earlier, so I brought you to the hospital,” Elara instantly replied.
• Those dark circles around his eyes were so prominent, contrasting his fair skin. One would mistake him for a panda if he had stayed in a zoo!
• He could reach such heights despite his young age in the previous life. It must have been for his workaholic personality. The doctor had examined his body earlier, and they said that this man merely overexerted himself and fainted.
• “Oh?” He looked stunned with his eyes widened and mouth slightly open, so expressive. Awkwardly scratching the back of his head, he muttered in a rather embarrassed voice. “Thank you for helping me, Miss.”
• “It’s just a small matter.” Elara waved her hand.
• He proceeded to tell her that he hadn’t slept for a few days because of his excitement with the scripts he just received. All were excellent and he couldn’t decide which one to work on for a while. Elara was still speechless when she heard it.
• “By the way, are you in a hurry? I heard earlier that you are going for an audition. Ahh… I didn’t mean to eavesdrop on your conversation, sorry.” His words were a bit jumbled up. After he calmed down a bit, he peeked at her.
• “It’s fine. I am no longer in a hurry,” She said. As long as you didn’t help Eleanor, she added in her heart. One less helper by Eleanor’s side would be good.
• “You are no longer going to the audition?” He asked curiously. “Oh, I forgot to ask. What’s your name, Miss?”
• “I am Elara Whitmore. You can call me Elara.” She wasn’t sure, but she muttered casually, “I think it’s too late for the audition, anyway.”
• A hint of guilt appeared on his face. “I am Henry Bennett. You can call me Henry, Miss Elara.”
• He had a thoughtful look on his face. “Are you an actress?”
• Elara shrugged. “I haven’t taken any acting jobs yet.”
• Henry nodded, understanding that she was a newcomer. He thought about it for a moment and remembered that there was indeed an audition for a small supporting role today. Glancing at her, he hesitated, but then still told her.
• “If you are talking about a small supporting role for a short movie ‘The Silent Guardian’, I think you are not too late.” He glanced at his watch and then acquiesced.
• His guilt was slightly lessened, but he still felt bad that the girl had delivered him to the hospital at the risk of being late for the audition.
• Elara was speechless. It seemed that the world wanted her to go to the audition today. Well then, it wasn’t wrong for her to try this time. Those thugs should have left for waiting too long, anyway.
• After making sure that Henry was alright and he could handle the subsequent procedure himself, she excused herself. He had requested for her to share his phone number with her, wanting to repay her for his debt later.
• She wasn’t entirely reckless when she came to the studio where the audition was held. A hoodie wrapped around her body, making her look like a naïve teenage girl.
• Henry had pointed to her the location of the room where the audition took place. As soon as she got out of the taxi, she passed by the previous parking lot, noticing that there was only one car there.
• Oh, the owner still hadn’t left.
• “Excuse me.” A gruff voice sounded, and she jolted. One of them was already roughly grabbing onto her shoulder.
• After stopping her, they stood in front of her. “Do you know if the participant named Elara Whitmore has exited the building or done with her audition?”
• They also looked at the phone in their hands. Elara cursed her luck. They were still there and looking for her!
• Without warning, she immediately ran away. The two thugs were momentarily stunned, but then they realized that the woman they were looking for was her. The wind had blown the hoodie cap, making her facial features exposed. It was the same as the one that their client had sent.
• “Go chase after her!” They shouted at each other.
• Elara looked at her silent surroundings and frowned. She had no choice right now, so she got in the first car that she saw. The vague outline of the owner was apparent from outside.
• After she got in, she crouched down, hiding from their sight.
• “Please let me stay here temporarily and help me to get rid of them, Sir.” She asked him, hoping that he was a gentleman. Even if he kicked her out, she actually also didn’t mind. Her hand wasn’t idle; she was sending messages to the police, reporting her condition to them, as well as one of her friends.
• “Excuse me.” Someone knocked on the window of the car, making Elara’s heart jump.
• Honestly, she was a bit desperate when she came to the audition. She badly needed some funds right now. Otherwise, she wouldn’t have come at all because Eleanor would plot against her by hiring some thugs.
• “Do you see–”
• The car suddenly moved, going out of the parking lot, making the thugs curse. They hurriedly went to their car and chased after them.
• She lifted her head and now sat straight in the passenger seat. His focused look when he was driving, as well as that composed face, was really attractive. Elara quickly came to her senses and apologized, “Sorry for dragging you–”
• Her words abruptly stopped.
• Elara could see a car following them and the man who looked so elegant and smart could, too.
• Her guilt deepened slightly now. She swallowed. “Sorry for dragging you into this, Sir.”
• “That’s fine.” He raised an eyebrow. “As an upstanding member of society, one has to help to fight against citizens who do not abide by law.”
• She was a bit bewildered. Her lips pursed, and she told him. “Where is the nearest police station? You can drop me off there, Sir.”
• “They will run away if they know we are heading there.” He said, and for the first time, glancing at her.
• Honestly, Elara didn’t expect that she would meet this man again. Such a noble-looking man was bound to be someone above her status, so she dared not to think too much.
• “What do you think would be the best plan?” He asked, his voice full of patience.
• Elara pondered it and then proposed her plan. “We can ask the police to arrive in a certain place and set up an ambush.”
• “That’s very smart of you.” The man nodded in approval.
• She blinked. Why did she feel that this man was making fun of her? She shook her head. It must have been her feeling.
• “Thank you,” She muttered earnestly.
• “Don’t say that yet. It’s still too early.” He said in a casual tone. “Hold on tight, they are too slow.”
• Elara was shocked the moment their car sped up. But she quickly recovered herself and made some calls to the police, explaining her condition. They also agreed to assist her in catching the criminal, making her quite satisfied.
• She took a peek at the man beside her, only to find that he was looking at her, too. She froze and then smiled sheepishly. “Sir, be careful. Don’t forget to focus on the road ahead.”
• The operation was executed successfully, and the hired thugs obviously didn’t expect that they would be ambushed.
• When they insist on their innocence, acting like a passerby. Elara opened her mouth. “Search their phones. They are using it to communicate with whoever hired them to commit crimes against me!”
• The thugs paled.
• At this moment, a call came through her phone and she picked it up. It was Eleanor asking about her well-being. She answered flatly. “I am so frightened. By the way, do you know what your sister went through today? I almost got kidnapped?”
• “How did you escape, sister? How are you right now? Are you alright?” There was a hint of surprise in Eleanor’s voice.
• “I am alright.” Elara’s voice had a hint of a smile. “The police are now checking the kidnapper’s phone. We will find out who did it to me soon~”
• The other side grew oddly quiet.